This contract will not only enable Canada to attain its obligations under the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme Agreement, but also to respond to distress signals from land, air and sea from coast-to-coast.

The contract features procurement of two MEOLUTs besides maintenance services for five years with an option for another five years.

Thales Alenia Space designs, operates and delivers satellite-based systems for governments and institutions. It helps them not only to position but also to connect anyone or anything seamlessly.

MEOLUT Next has been efficiently detecting distress signals more than 5,000km away since 2016.

MEOLUT Next received and processed the distress signal of a 12m sailboat with three people aboard in less than five minutes and provided accurate positioning to authorities when the boat triggered its COSPAS/SARSAT beacon after its rudder broke and its engine failed in July 2017, 70km off the coast of Sardinia. This system helped tp save all three lives.

Thales Canada managing director and vice president Jerry McLean said: “Thales Canada is proud to deliver world class solutions that will make life better and keep us safer.

“From complex C4ISR systems to integrated maritime C3 and diverse aerospace solutions, this contract further reflects Thales’ continued commitment to Canadian innovation.”

“Today, MEOLUT Next is the only solution in the world capable of processing second-generation beacons in real time. Its operational efficiency was recently recognized by Space & Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) for its humanitarian contributions”.

Founded by Canada, the US, Russia and France, COSPAS/SARSAT is an intergovernmental organisation with operation in 43 countries.

This satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection and information distribution system detects and locates emergency beacons activated by aircraft, ships and backcountry hikers in distress. Some 500,000 ships and 150,000 aircraft are equipped with COSPAS/SARSAT distress beacons. Until now, the COSPAS-SARSAT service has saved over 37,000 lives.

MEOLUT systems use large parabolic antennas and are limited by how many satellite signals they can receive.

Thales Alenia Space’s MEOLUT Next solution is compact, with measurement of less than 6m2 and can track up to 30 satellites.

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